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While it’s doubtful that “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage” will catch on like “I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen” did in Say Anything or “Show me the money” in Jerry Maguire, it takes a real pro like Cameron Crowe (Elizabethtown) to transform what could’ve been a big schlocky mess into something meaningful with We Bought a Zoo.

See, true story or not, the film’s log-line had sappy ABC Family movie written all over it. We’ve got the newly single dad, Benjamin played by Matt Damon (Happy Feet Two) no less, trying to simultaneously get over the death of his wife and raise a rebellious son (Colin Ford, TV’s Supernatural) and adorably precocious daughter to boot (Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Footloose). We’ve got the snarky but oh-so-wise BFF, Duncan (Thomas Haden Church, Easy A) offering unsolicited advice right and left and a beautiful love interest, Kelly (Scarlett Johansson, Iron Man 2) who’s just dying to console our hurting protagonist. And if that wasn’t enough to potentially send someone’s cynical gauge into overdrive, well, our leading man is so principled and earnest that he quits his writing job, which incidentally aren’t all that easy to come by these days, because he senses it’s becoming a pity gig.

So what does a nominee for “Dad of the Year” do when you need to support your family and want to “give them an authentic American experience?” Well, buy a zoo, naturally! After all, it’s not possible to cram too much cuteness into one single film, right? Riiiiiight?

Considering that animals are involved, there are plenty of cute moments (with perfectly placed music to tug at your heartstrings playing in the background, natch) in We Bought a Zoo. What’s the real surprise is it’s so much more than the sum of its parts. Like Duncan said to Ben in one of the film’s best scenes—you’ll like the animals, but you’ll love the humans.

First off, what makes We Bought a Zoo so likeable is that family plays such a starring—and believable— role. Unlike so many screenplays where a deceased hubby or wife is merely a convenient jumping-off point for whatever happens next, we repeatedly feel just how much Benjamin misses his wife. Maybe it’s because the actress playing the dearly departed looks a little like his own wife, or perhaps, it’s a tribute to his acting range, but whatever makes him convey such emotion, it’s working. In fact, aside from playing Jason Bourne, another animal altogether, it may be one of Damon’s finest performances.

What also helps elevate We Bought a Zoo from descending into utter cheesedom is Crowe’s trademark moments of levity. Whether it’s the montage where a school’s headmaster explains to Benjamin why his son’s dark paintings don’t exactly jibe with the school’s hippie-dippy vibe or the inclusion of a wide-eyed teen girl with a heart of gold (Elle Fanning, Super 8) who brings a sandwich to her crush every day at 4:00 just so she can see him, it provides some much-needed texture and contrast to some pretty heady subject matter.

Without giving too much away, the story itself has plenty of twists and turns along the way, too. Rather than relying on a slew of scatological humor and your basic “let’s make the sad dad fall in love again” storyline, the screenplay, which Crowe co-wrote with Aline Brosh McKenna (I Don’t Know How She Does It) rarely resorts to lame storytelling tactics, save for a few unsavory words that didn’t need to be there at all. Instead, it’s just the sort of movie that’s perfect for Christmastime—life lessons tucked into a rather appealing package.

CAUTIONS:

Drugs/Alcohol: Some social drinking.

Language/Profanity: A few expletives are sprinkled throughout including sh--, as-h-le and he--. A young girl calls someone a “di--,” which is played for laughs. God and Jesus’s names are taken in vain on occasion. A couple of instances of scatological humor.

Sex/Nudity: No sex or nudity, just a couple of first kisses and a revelation that a character has been married before. Kelly is referred to as “hot.” Benjamin is encouraged to start dating again after his wife’s death.

Thematic Elements: Discussion of whether it’s in an animal’s best interest to be put down. Children dealing with the death of their mother in different ways (Dylan tends to act out by being a sourpuss, saying “whatever” to everything and making rather macabre art).

Christa Banister is a full-time freelancer writer, specializing in music, movies and books-related reviews and interviews and is the author of two novels,Around the World in 80 DatesandBlessed Are the Meddlers. Based in Dallas, Texas, she also weighs in on various aspects of pop culture on her personal blog. For more information, including her upcoming book signings and sample chapters of her novels, check out her Website.